Technology for making uniform the gloss level of an image, which is formed on a print medium, by using a transparent recording agent such as transparent toner is known in the art (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-171306). Through use of such technology, the gloss level of plain paper can be increased by applying transparent toner to the plain paper, by way of example.
In cases where printing is performed using a transparent recording agent, however, there are occasions where the gloss level of the surface of the transparent recording agent after thermal fixation is made higher than the original gloss level of the print medium (sheet) and occasions where it falls below the original gloss level of the print medium, depending upon the type of print medium printed on. Accordingly, there are instances where even though an image is printed using the transparent recording agent, the gloss level is not always increased and a printout having the gloss level desired by the user is not output.